8 WOKK IN Tin: l-IbiLD AMONGST THE FUNGI. 



infest and destroy our crops, and thus compel attention to the 

 invaders, not from clioice. hut from self interest. 



The solvini; of puzzles in this branch of mycology has been 

 proceeding gradually, but I think surely, in the past year. 

 Professor Perceval's researches on "silver leaf" of truit trees 

 appears to be promising a successful issue. The causes affecting 

 *'club root" are engaging attention. The life history of many 

 parasites are better elucidated, and faith in the use of fungi- 

 cides gains strength day by day. 



I should call your attention, as a practical matter, to the 

 recent publication by my friend and pupil, Mr. George Massee, 

 of a useful volume, entitled European Fungus Flora, Agaricacew, 

 which replaces, as far as it goes, the Clavis, published some 

 years ago, by myself, in conjunction with Dr. Quelet. The 

 present volume includes only the Agaricaceoe, but it contains all 

 the species hitherto known as occurring in Europe, with a 

 special indication of those found in Britain. The Clavis included 

 1,943 species, of which 939 were given as British. The present 

 work includes 2,750 species, of which 1,553 ^^^ British. The 

 letterpress is in English, whereas that of the Clavis was in Latin. 

 The descriptions, although compact, are longer and more com- 

 plete than those of the Clavis, adding, in most cases, the dimen- 

 sions of the spores. The classification is, for the most part, 

 founded on that of Saccardo's Sylloge, and the construction of 

 the work is evidently based upon the desire to make it a handy 

 field book for the determination of species, as well as a com- 

 pendium for home use. I can congratulate the author upon a 

 successful achievement of his desire, and all mycologists who 

 may be fortunate enough to possess it, of a valuable addition to 

 the mycological literature of the year. 



I also may be permitted, with some reserve, to refer to 

 another publication, in which I am myself interested. Notwith- 

 standing the valuable contributions to the subject of Plant 

 Diseases by Mr. Massee and Professor ^Marshall Ward, it has 

 long been felt that what is wanted in this country is a full 

 enumeration of plant diseases of fungus origin, illustrated as 

 much as possible by coloured figures, so as to assist the cultivator 

 and the amateur. All efforts to secure a publisher for such a 

 work having failed, the Royal Horticultural Society was appealed 

 to, and ultimately arrangements have been made for issuing this 



